St. Louis Downtown Airport to William P Hobby Airport CPS → HOU
593 nautical miles (682 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 207°, about 207° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 45 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:41 am CDT (10:41 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CPS is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots; HOU is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 5 knots. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 2 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from CPS.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 5 forecast points nearest it (STL, CGI, LIT, SHV, HOU). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 220° at 17 kt | +17 kt | 103 kt | 5 h 45 min | 6:41 am CDT (11:41 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 17 kt | +16 kt | 16 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 42 min | 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +16 kt | 13 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 42 min | 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | +11 kt | 10 °C | 109 kt | 5 h 26 min | 6:22 am CDT (11:22 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | +7 kt | 6 °C | 113 kt | 5 h 15 min | 6:11 am CDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | +7 kt | 2 °C | 113 kt | 5 h 15 min | 6:11 am CDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 14 kt | +7 kt | -2 °C | 113 kt | 5 h 15 min | 6:11 am CDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 14 kt | +7 kt | -5 °C | 113 kt | 5 h 15 min | 6:11 am CDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 20 kt | +8 kt | -16 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 18 min | 6:14 am CDT (11:14 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 32 kt | −1 kt | -30 °C | 121 kt | 4 h 54 min | 5:50 am CDT (10:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 38 kt | −3 kt | -40 °C | 123 kt | 4 h 49 min | 5:45 am CDT (10:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 38 kt | −5 kt | -52 °C | 125 kt | 4 h 45 min | 5:41 am CDT (10:41 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | used from 0 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| CGI | used from 49 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| LIT | used from 148 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| SHV | used from 346 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 200/18 | 230/24 18° | 230/24 12° | 240/14 8° | 260/12 -4° | 240/11 -15° | 300/31 -29° | 300/32 -40° | 300/36 -52° |
| HOU | used from 494 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 160/22 | 150/27 19° | 180/16 14° | 250/7 9° | 270/10 -5° | 270/16 -13° | 310/23 -29° | 310/26 -40° | 330/20 -52° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPS Cahokia/St Louis, IL | departure | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 412 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| FAM Farmington, MO | 49 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 945 ft | 20:07 UTC |
| PYN Piedmont, MO | 89 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 466 ft | ||||
| CVK Ash Flat, AR | 158 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 717 ft | ||||
| HBZ Heber Springs, AR | 208 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 632 ft | ||||
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 247 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the west (280°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 266 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| ADF Arkadelphia, AR | 306 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 181 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| DTN Shreveport, LA | 405 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 179 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| OCH Nacogdoches, TX | 474 nm out, 21 nm west of the line | reported, no category | from the east-southeast (110°) at 3 knots | none | 343 ft | 04:56 UTC | |
| LFK Lufkin, TX | 494 nm out, 14 nm west of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 295 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| IAH Houston, TX | 573 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 20,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 95 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| HOU Houston, TX | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 22,000 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 46 ft | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 945 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At HOU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:41 am CDT (10:41 UTC)
Wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for HOU
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): light rain showers
- From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
The forecast for CPS, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at CPS 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC), at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at HOU is before sunrise there (7:20 am CDT (12:20 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: St. Louis Downtown Airport, William P Hobby Airport.